What got you here, won't get you there
Its nice to get back to reviewing books again!
This book in the spirit of CANI (contact and never-ending improvement) where it's not technical skills or certificates that'll level you up but actually behavioral changes.
As basic as saying thank you, thinking before you speak and apologizing for your mistakes.
The book highlights that smart people know what to do, but may not know what to stop.
Marshall Goldsmith kicks off with the 20 Bad Habits to cease which are:
Winning too much
Adding too much value
Passing judgment
Making destructive comments
Starting with NO, BUT or HOWEVER
Telling the world how smart we are
Speaking when angry
Negativity, or “Let me explain why that won’t work”
Withholding information
Failing to give proper recognition
Claiming credit that that we don’t deserve
Making excuses
Clinging to the past
Playing favorites
Refusing to express regret
Not listening
Failing to express gratitude
Punishing the messenger
Passing the Buck
An excessive need to be “me"
“We spend a lot of time helping leaders learn what to do. We do not spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half of the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.”
Marshall Goldsmith
From then with the bad habits identified, he introduces the 7 steps for future leader improvements:
- Get Feedback
- Apologize
- Declare your Intentions
4. Listen Actively
5. Express your Gratitude
6. Follow Up
7. Practice Feedforward
It is with a commitment to our behaviors (good or bad) that will ultimately determine how far we go.
Personally I have many in the list of 20 I need to actively work on and use the 7 steps to continually work on in the CANI mindset.
Cheers,